


Hands and Handling It

by apartment



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M, Power Couple, Power Kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 04:20:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15283506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apartment/pseuds/apartment
Summary: Alec and Magnus compete over who can kill the most demons, but both of them enjoy watching the other in battle too much to actually try their bests.or: soft power couple malec indulging their power kinks and competitive streaks, much to everyone else's exasperationAlec’s phone rings. He ignores it at first, letting it sound in his pocket incessantly. Then it rings a second time. Alec sidesteps another swipe and throws his blade in the general direction of one of the other demons, then turns away from the fight to dig his phone out of his pocket with a sigh. He picks up, with a “Jace, what’s up?”Maia makes a loud noise of surprise. "Alec, what are you doing?” she hisses.Alec makes a few incomprehensible gestures, then just mouths: “He’s fine.” He returns to his phone conversation, but keeps an eye on the fight. On Magnus. There's an appreciation in his eyes that isn't at all innocent.





	Hands and Handling It

**Author's Note:**

> if ur subscribed 2 me and ur wondering why u got 10000 notifications for this it's cause ao3 hates me and doesn't actually post my work but still says it did

Alec and Magnus have spent the day in Magnus’ office—Magnus is hosting a long chain of clients, and Alec’s researching a recent string of murders. Alec is curled (cutely) into the armchair in Magnus’ office, flipping through a spellbook listlessly.

Alec is bored, Magnus can tell, but he can’t do anything about that with the family of werewolves—a mother and her two children—sitting across from him nervously. The spell the mother is asking for is dangerous, but not unwarranted given her situation.

Which is why when the demons break in, through the wards Magnus had placed at medium severity to allow for clients coming and going, he’s hunched over his desk, watching carefully as his magic swirls around in a small vial.

He feels the ping of his secondary wards, and moments later, shax demons screech in the hallway, right outside Magnus’ door.

The werewolf mother—Karen, Magnus thinks her name is— jumps to her feet, getting between the door and her children protectively. “Warlock Bane!” she cries, tense and alarmed. “What is that?” Magnus sighs in sympathy. Being introduced to demons so soon after joining the Shadow World must be difficult, after all.

Magnus doesn’t look up from his potion, though. He can’t afford the distraction. “Alexander,” he calls and hears an affirmative sound in response. Alec closes the book he’s flipping through and rises, stretching slightly.

“Demons,” he tells Karen, then waves off her look of horror. “I’ve got it,” says Alec. He reaches out, and his bow comes unglamoured in his hand. Moments later, he disappears through the doorway of the office, towards the offending demons.

The werewolf mother looks between Magnus and the empty doorway wildly. “Demons?” she breathes. “Don’t you need to—?” she asks.

Magnus doesn’t really register what she’s asking, distracted as he is by the potion. He barely glances away from the vial, looking up only to add a pinch of garlic to the mix. The liquid turns a flaming red. “Yes, yes,” he says vaguely.

They hear the door open as Alec leaves, and the howling gets significantly louder momentarily. Karen looks panicked. “Warlock Bane, your partner, he’ll get hurt!” she shouts.

Of course, he has spared a thought for Alec, but he’s not that worried. Assassination attempts are unfortunately common for people of their positions, and Alec and Magnus have learned to weather them with a healthy amount of caution. Magnus has spelled their weapons with the same enchantment as the ruby that Isabelle now wears. Pretty much all that can get close without detection these days are shax and ravener demons.

All in all, it’s not the first time this has happened. Although it _is_ the first time that someone else has been here to witness it. He grimaces sympathetically. Magnus pauses for a second, listening intently to the happenings in the hallway. There’s a loud thud, and then it’s silent. _Good, Alexander’s finished then_ , he thinks.

Before he can reply to Karen, the door opens again. “That’s three more for me. I’m up by five now,” Alec calls from the other room. Magnus can hear his grin.

Maybe “weathered” is the wrong word for it. Try instead “turned everything into a competition.”

Magnus rolls his eyes. “I still maintain that Hellhounds count for more than one each,” he says, glancing up at Alec as he returns. Karen looks flabbergasted.

“You can’t just make up rules,” Alec complains. He looks at Karen as if to ask _Can you believe this guy_? Karen looks back like Alec has spontaneously grown seventeen heads.

Magnus can’t contain a small chuckle. He finishes the potion with a last stir and flicks a little magic into it to kickstart the effects. When he sends the family on their way, potion in hand, Karen says faintly: “Oh my god. Who _are_ you?”

* * *

“Is that _another_ Hellhound?” Alec sighs. He sounds almost disappointed.

Magnus squints against the sun. “It seems to have a longer tail?” he offers.

Alec frowns. He activates his far-distance rune and shields his eyes with a hand. “I can’t tell,” he says. “Doesn’t it look like it’s running weirdly to you?”

“Hellhounds always look like that,” Magnus says.

“No, this one’s different,” Alec insists. He pauses, and they both strain to see the approaching creature more clearly. “Oh! It has six legs.”

Magnus scoffs. “It’s Hellhound, Alexander, not Hell _bug_.”

Alec turns to Magnus, mischievous challenge in his eyes. “Okay, fine, Mr. Edom. How ‘bout this: if it’s six, I get two points.”

“Points for what?” says Magnus.

Alec grins. He notches an arrow and half-readies himself. “I’m gonna kill it.”

Magnus’ mouth drops. He punches Alec on the arm with a glare. “It’s _my_ turn!” he complains.

Alec is about to reply when he’s cut off. “Um, what the fuck?” Isabelle asks. Magnus and Alec both turn, looking not-quite sheepish. “Do you guys— A competition? _Really_?” she says incredulously. “Ay, dios mío, can we just kill the demon, already?!”

She points at it, where, _yep_ , it’s much closer than it was before. It has six legs. Magnus shudders. But he still gets the point.

* * *

When the Institute is given the task of housing Clave officials in America for a few weeks, that month’s Downworlder cabinet meeting gets moved. Relatively unprotected off of hallowed ground, they make the perfect target.

So Magnus can’t even bother being surprised when they’re attacked. The invading creatures, however, are a bit of a shock. They’re three lower level asmodei, demon spawn of—and clearly sent by—his father. Everyone jumps up, and Magnus throws a quick shield up to give them time to plan.

“I’ll handle it,” he says with a grim sigh. He gestures for everyone else to sit back down, but Alec remains by his side.

“You’re sure?” Maia asks.

Magnus nods. “This’ll be quickest.” He gathers magic in his hands, and next to him, Alec draws his seraph blade.

Moments later, the asmodei crash through the shield, and they’re upon Alec and Magnus in seconds. Magnus blasts them backwards, then shoots a ball of magic at each. Alec jumps forward, dodges a slashing claw, and stabs upwards into one of the demons’ heart. It splashes ichor over him, but the demon disintegrates quickly.

Alec’s phone rings. He ignores it at first, letting it sound in his pocket incessantly. Then it rings a second time. Alec sidesteps another swipe and throws his blade in the general direction of one of the other demons. Magnus uses magic to propel it into its head, but Alec’s already turned away from the fight to dig his phone out of his pocket.

He picks up, with a “Jace, what’s up?”

Lily makes a loud noise of surprise. When Alec takes a few steps back and covers his other ear to hear Jace better, Maia looks at Alec like he’s mad. She looks wildly between the fighting and Alec, shocked at his calm demeanor. “Alec, what are you doing?” she hisses.

Alec makes a few incomprehensible gestures, then just mouths: “He’s fine.” He returns to his phone conversation, but keeps an eye on the fight. On Magnus. There's an appreciation in his eyes that isn't at all innocent. 

Magnus is finished with the remaining demon before Alec is off the phone. The moment Alec hangs up, he says with a grin, “I get the points for the second one.”

“It was my blade!” Alec disputes, but Magnus can hear the underlying amusement.

“My magic!” says Magnus.

“ _This_ is how you guys pass your time?” Lily asks. “ _This_ is New York’s Shadow World leadership?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alec protests. Magnus just grins. He cleans himself of ichor with a magical snap, and returns to the meeting, preening under the attention. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy this.

* * *

Alec is blowing Magnus the next time it happens. He has Magnus crowded against a wall, and the warlock’s head is tilted up, revealing where red marks have been sucked onto his neck.

Alec is on his knees, bobbing his head with his lips wrapped around Magnus’ cock. His hand jerks the part not in his mouth, and Magnus moans when Alec reaches further down to cup his balls and roll them in his hand.

Alec reaches down and palms at his own bulge, still hidden in his jeans. Magnus looks down when Alec moans, and then he doesn’t look away again. Alec’s eyes are shining with unshed tears, and under Magnus’ heavy gaze, they clench shut in reverent pleasure when Alec presses his hand to his bulge again. Alec moans, louder this time, and the vibrations cause Magnus’ hips to buck.

Magnus hisses out a low “Fuck” and he tries to hold back from thrusting forward again. “You’re positively sinful, Alexander. Your mouth. Your _tongue_.”

The next time Alec moans around Magnus’ cock, his hips thrust involuntarily. But Alec lets him, transitioning smoothly to let Magnus take control of most of the action. Magnus bites his lip, exhaling with a shudder. He runs a hand through Alec’s hair, lifting the dark locks off his forehead, before grabbing a handful with the _perfect_ amount of roughness.  

“There you are,” Magnus breathes, and then pulls Alec’s head forward, until the head of his cock is touching the back of his throat. Alec gags, just slightly, but it’s enough to bring a fresh set of tears to his eyes. Magnus relishes the sight, Alec knows.

He feels like he's coming apart at the seams. So good on his knees like this, with Magnus falling apart above him. Hearing Magnus moan even when Alec can’t his face through his blurred vision. Magnus’ thighs are quivering the way they do when his knees are threatening to buckle, _god, yes._

Which is why it’s so inconvenient when the demon crashes through a window of the building they’re in. Alec pulls off Magnus, alarmed, and turns towards the noise. He wipes his mouth off and automatically reaches for his blade.

“Shax demons,” Magnus says, groaning in frustration. “Just two.”

So not a huge threat, Alec understands. Plus, they’re in a very large room. Larger than a typical ballroom, and the shax demons entered on the opposite side. Alec decides to intercept them before they reach, but when he turns back to Magnus to tell him so, he’s met with the sight of Magnus’ cock, still hard and sloppy wet.

He swallows thickly. Before he can think otherwise—before he can think at all—Alec leans in and licks a stripe from root to tip. Magnus yelps in surprise then knees him, and Alec glares up at him. “Ow,” Alec complains.

“What are you doing? There are _demons_ coming straight at us,” Magnus says.

Alec runs his hands up Magnus’ smooth thighs and curls them around his hips, holding Magnus in place. He shrugs with a smirk and says, “Then kill them,” and then he swallows Magnus to the root in one fluid motion.

Magnus’ hips spasm under Alec’s hands, and he throws his head back in surprise-slash-pleasure. “Oh my god,” Magnus moans. “Oh, f-fuck.”

Alec curves his tongue so that it presses against the vein on the underside of Magnus’ cock, and he does his best to increase the pressure. He swallows around the head of Magnus’ cock and the warlock’s knees threaten to buckle. He’s close, Alec can tell.

“Fuck,” Magnus hisses. He looks down and sees Alec watching him through his eyelashes. “God, ah, _oh_ —I can’t believe you would—. You’re going to be the death of me, _reckless_ , overconfident, _so_ good, _oh_.”

Magnus summons orbs of blue magic and sends them charging at the shax demons, close enough now that it doesn’t require much fine aiming. He still misses though, because Alec decides to dig his nails into Magnus’ hips and drag them downwards roughly, just like he knows Magnus loves.

“Damn you,” Magnus wheezes, only somewhat irritated. He sounds like he’s struggling to form words. “I can’t—,”

Magnus lets out a yell of frustration and pleasure and a blue wave of magic all at once. The wave spreads outwards from him, crashing over the demons and tumbling them into pieces.

It flows over Alec as well, but it’s warm on his skin, like the low hum of a vibrating bow string. It’s power, raw and seemingly infinite, and unbridled in its tenacity. It sings over Alec, sliding through his veins.

Alec feels wrecked, ruined. His mind has short-circuited, and he feels wired to come at any moment. He feels drunk off the weight in his mouth and the feeling of Magnus all around him, _in_ him.

Blowing Magnus while he kills demons is just about the hottest situation Alec could even imagine finding himself in. He can’t believe Magnus didn’t stop him. And that’s adding to the tremors of thrill and adrenaline pumping through him. His head feels heavy with arousal and anticipation and admiration for his partner.

All that matters is this, now. Alec can feel his jaw begin to ache and welcomes it readily. The taste of Magnus’ precum on his tongue more than makes up for it.

Alec licks at the slit of Magnus’ cock for a few seconds, eliciting a strong shudder, before sucking the head back into his mouth. He runs his hands down Magnus’ thighs and scrapes the soft flesh softly. With one hand Alec starts stroking Magnus, and the other finds his balls again, then further back, to rub at the perineum. Magnus yells hoarsely.

After that it’s just a matter of time. Magnus’ hips, no longer held down, jerk when he comes, and Alec nearly chokes. But he swallows the come as best he can, breathing heavily as he pulls off. He spares no time pressing a palm onto his bulge, rocking his hips into it. _God, yes._ _He’s so close_.

He can feel his balls tightening up, and he lets out a loud, unashamed moan. He can taste Magnus’ come in his mouth still, and he licks at the little that’s dripped from it.

“Alexander,” Magnus pants, his voice wrecked but satisfied, sounding like he’s shaken to his core. It’s that surprised, almost disbelieving tremor in his voice that does Alec in at the end. Alec comes, messily and stickily in his pants. But he doesn’t care. How can he, when that was just about the most mind-blowing thing he’s ever experienced?

“What the fuck,” says Magnus absently, seemingly in agreement. “Holy fuck.”

“I think we’re tied now,” Alec says, his voice rough. But he sounds unbearably smug, even to his own ears. Magnus doesn’t bother replying.

* * *

Magnus has a group of young warlocks behind him, and he’s standing in a protective stance, his magic at the ready. His hair is matted on his forehead with blood, and he blinks to clear his vision when the cut bleeds into his eyes. The injury’s not bad, and his magic isn’t close to depleted yet, but he’s still on edge.

There’s a group of feral grey werewolves in front of him, all growling and pawing at the ground menacingly. Far behind him, he can hear another group approach. That set of wolves includes their alpha, Magnus knows, which is the only thing this group in front of him is waiting for. Soon, they’ll be surrounded, and given that they’re stuck in this tunnel… Magnus doesn’t see a way out without a fight.

And there’s only one of him. While the kids can fight, he probably can’t leave them to handle an entire group on their own. At best, they’d be helping him. God knows he needs it; the 15 wolves in front of him already place the odds against him.

Suddenly, there’s a noise from behind him, much closer than any of the approaching wolves. Magnus turns, ready to fire an attack, but stops when he recognizes the figure immediately.

“Alec?” he asks, surprised. Alec’s on mission in Colombia. Or he’s supposed to be, at least. Magnus had sent Jace, in charge for the week, a fire message out of desperation, and whatever help he expected, it certainly wasn’t this.

“Jace called, said you needed help. They’re on their way, but I got a portal so I could get here faster,” says Alec.

He turns to back Magnus, facing the approaching wolves. Alec pulls out his bow and without a second thought, he fires an arrow to land at the feet of the leader of the pack. The alpha stops abruptly, and while the rest follow suit, they continue barking ferociously.

They’re black wolves, Magnus realizes. Which means this alpha has consolidated two packs. Two _feral_ packs? How does a feral alpha strategize so well?

“Sorry,” Alec says over the din, his voice strong and confident. “But that’s as far as you go.”

Magnus turns back to face the grey wolf pack again, but keeps one eye on the situation building behind him. The leader of the pack transforms before their eyes—not feral, then—and grins when he’s human. “You’re not truly implying that you think you can take us _all_ down by yourself?”

“I don’t know,” Alec replies. He draws over a few runes and notches another arrow, holding it at the ready. He smirks. “Can’t say I’ve tried before.”

 “You’re a fool to even think about it,” the alpha growls. “My wolves will tear you apart.”

Alec’s eyes narrow, taking in the scene. He obviously notices what Magnus did, because he asks, “What did you do to them? You starved your own pack _feral_?”

One of the grey wolves barks loudly, and Magnus turns his full attention to the pack in front of him. He throws a small barrier around the warlock kids behind him. None of the wolves look gaunt, he realizes, but the crazed look in their eyes is undeniable. “Nothing so barbaric,” the man answers Alec. “A simple potion was all it took. Dogs’ll eat anything, you know.”

Seeing red, Magnus whips back around, ready to blast the alpha to smithereens; instead, he’s met with Alec’s firm gaze, the Shadowhunter having predicted Magnus’ fury and turned his head slightly to meet Magnus’ eye. _Don’t engage_ , Alec’s firm gaze says. _Let me handle it_.  

Magnus exhales deeply, clenches his hands into tight white-knuckled fists, and keeps his position in front of the young warlocks. They look scared and helpless, and Magnus’ heart breaks for them to experience violence this young. He steels himself. He has a job to do, children to guard, a people to protect.

Alec will handle that pack. He’ll handle this one.

And that’s when one of the young warlocks makes a break for it. “Fuck!” Magnus bites, but he can’t chase after him, not unless he wants to leave the rest of them unprotected. But it seems he can’t allow them to stay within range of the battle after all.

“Go!” Alec calls from behind him. _Fuck_ , he thinks again. _Fuck, this isn’t at all what he wanted when he called for help_. But he needs to get these kids to safety. Alec can hold his own. Magnus trusts that. He must.

“Hold onto me!” he calls to the warlocks, and uses his magic to grab his one stray, pulling him into his arms. Within seconds, Magnus has both summoned a portal above himself and sent a careening wave of magic at the wolves in front of him to prevent any hitchhikers.

He and the warlock children land with a few thumps in his apartment, disoriented. Magnus’ head swims as he sits up. It’s been awhile since he’s traveled so many bodies through a single portal without preparation. He takes a small moment to vaguely check on them, the “all body parts still attached” way. “Stay here,” he pants, unsteadily rising to his feet. “Stay here,” and then musters up another portal to take him back.

The wolves would have attacked, he knows. And he left Alec there, alone. Fear grips at him, gnawing at his bones. _Please be okay_. Please _, be okay_.

When he crashes through the portal, Magnus blinks in surprise. Whatever Magnus was expecting to walk into, it wasn’t this. There are incapacitated—but not many dead—werewolves all around the tunnel, whining and whimpering in pain. Alec is _more_ than okay. 

Magnus almost whimpers himself when he sees him, one half of his face splattered with blood, smoothly turning to the remaining wolves with an arrow at the ready. How the bloody fuck did Alec manage this amount of careful carnage? Magnus feels unsteady, and it’s not just because of the portalling.

He throws a few binding spells at the wolves still standing, and soon he and Alec are standing amidst a cacophony of angry but ultimately harmless snarls and barks. He sees the largest body there, the alpha, dead, an arrow through his throat. _Good_.

Magnus looks Alec over, feeling weak in the knees. His jacket has a large tear in one arm, and his hair is mussed, and there’s blood on more than just his face—it trails down his neck then disappears into the black of his leather jacket. Alec looks like a vengeful angel. When he grins, there’s blood in his teeth.

There’s something giddy building in Magnus’ chest, forcing its way out of him in a delighted, exhilarated laugh. _The power_. The blood in his veins is singing. _The mercy_.

“God, I love you,” he says. He rushes to Alec, wondering whether he wants to jump his bones or check him for injuries. He decides on a happy middle. Magnus cups his face in his hands, feeling the warm, slick blood under his palms. “You’re amazing, Shadowhunter,” he says fondly. Even his words seem to be light on their feet, floating in the air.

When Jace and his team arrive, all that’s left for them to do is transport the wolves back to the Institute for help. Jace looks around in thinly veiled confusion, noticing how many wolves have red-fletched arrows in them.  

“Where were you?” he asks Magnus. Magnus can tell he’s worried, so he places a hand on Alec’s shoulder, holding him back when Alec opens his mouth to protest.

Magnus smiles at Jace gently. He gets it. But Alec does have a point; Jace should know better at this point than to ask such a pointed question. Almost mischievously, and just a little pettily, Magnus decides not to betray his own worry. “Alec said he could handle it,” he says.

Jace looks between the two of them in disbelief. And then he seems to get it. He simply turns to Alec and flashes him a thumbs-up. “You’re gonna have to try a little harder to beat me, though, bro.”

It takes Magnus a moment. “Wait, you’re competing with him, too?!” he slaps Alec on the shoulder, melodramatically offended. It takes all his effort to keep a smile off his lips.

“‘Too?’” Jace echoes.

Where once Magnus would have expected a sheepish shrug from Alec, he’s now expecting the smug smirk. Alec is in his element here, to a truly charming degree. The lightheartedness in Magnus’ chest grows. _Wow_ , Magnus thinks with a certain clarity. He’s in _so_ deep. This is the kind of love he wants to sing from the rooftops.

That is, until: “You know, when you combine my scores and both of yours, I’m winning.”

**Author's Note:**

> pls leave a comment. pls 
> 
> i love smug, powerful, confident alec so much someone kill me 
> 
> also if u hate freeform check out my [alec kills freeform fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15259920), i'm promoting it b/c it's funny 2 me 
> 
> i'm p active on twitter these days so come hang w/ me there. i also check [tumblr](http://apartmented.tumblr.com) at least a few times a day but honestly >>> [twitter](http://twitter.com/inviq). hmu to play fortnite!
> 
> also i beat ffxv and it destroyed me 
> 
> i think my next fic is gonna be kinda angsty so happy camping until then ;0)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Podfic: Hands and Handling It](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17380910) by [Djapchan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Djapchan/pseuds/Djapchan)




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